I had been running SpectraView II calibration for my NEC Multisync 3090WQXi on my older WinXP desktop without issue. In that configuration the NEC is connected with a DVI-D connector/cable from the DVI-D output connector on the desktop display driver card. When trying to run SpectraView II using my new Dell M4600 Win7 Pro laptop, I had to get a Display Port to Dual Link DVI-D adapter to run from the Display Port on the laptop (there is no Dual Link DVI-D connector on the laptop) through the DVI-D cable/connector to the NEC monitor in order to run the NEC monitor at its full 2560x1600 resolution. The calibration of the NEC fails, however, using this setup. I have had multiple discussions with both Dell and NEC. NEC blames the adapter, and Dell blames the peculiar (?) EDID and DDC_CI communication required by SpectraView II and which appears to be lacking through the Display Port/adapter, as deciphered by the NEC diagnostic software. I've tried 2 different adapters, one by Bizlink and another by Startech, both giving the same result.

I am posting in hopes that someone else may have experienced and possibly solved this problem?

As a fallback position, I could continue to calibrate using the old XP desktop and otherwise run the monitor with my new laptop, but as the WinXP desktop ages further, this will at some point become problematic.

Since you have already spoken to NEC you have probably already tried these things but have you downloaded the latest version of spectraview? Have you tried updating your drivers for your graphics card using windows 7's device manager? I suspect your graphics card just can't support a resolution that big, but I am no expert on these things. I don't think the problem is with the display port/DVI adapter, as I am using one (from StarTeck)between my Dell Latitude E6400 XP laptop and NEC 2490wuxi2. But that is running at 1920X1200 resolution.

One more thing you can try is switching the inputs on your monitor. If it is like mine it has one DVI-I and one DVI-D. Does the problem persist on both?

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I am running the latest SpectraView II (1.1.9-1) and have the latest driver from Dell for the graphics card. With the display port to dual link DVI-D adapter, I can drive the NEC at full resolution, 2560x1600. That is not the problem. The problem is that SpectraView II is not supported through the Display Port to dual link DVI-D adapter at full resolution, and hence I cannot calibrate my monitor from the new laptop at that resolution. I do not have a native DVI-D adapter on my laptop, only Display Port, and the DVI-D adapter on my E-Port replicator is not dual link. I have tried running SpectraView II through the VGA connector on the laptop and it works fine, but only at 1920X1200 resolution. There seems to be something about the display port to dual link DVI-D adapter that is not truly replicating a native dual link DVI-D connector.

Did you sort this out? I'd like to use a similar setup and have a M6500 and a NEC2690 with Spectraview II that is currently used with another computer. I'd like to get a docking station (E-Port replicator, Dell YP126 / 430-3114), and profile the laptop and monitor each. Do I need another adapter to add dual-link connection to the monitor?

Unfortunately, I have not sorted this out. At this time I am unsure if there is a solution with my current NEC Multisync 3090WQXi and Dell M4600 laptop running SpectraViewII. I ended up loading Win7 on my old desktop (for Lightroom) and am using a DVI-D cable between the DVI-D connection on the graphics card to the NEC DVI-D connector. This connection apparently supports the needed EDID and DDC_CI communication protocol required by SpectraViewII, and worked with WinXP previously, as I reported in my original post. I am not totally happy with this arrangement because my desktop is a bit dated with an Intel Core 2 Duo CPU and it bogs down running Lightroom.

What I believe you need is a Dual Link DVI-D capability on your laptop graphics card that gets carried out through the port replicator. My laptop is lacking the Dual Link DVI-D connector and the DVI-D connectors on my port replicator are apparently not dual link. So, if, like me, you have only a Display Port on your laptop and are lacking the fully functional (i.e., supports the EDID and DDC_CI communication protocol required by SpectraViewII) Dual Link DVI-D connector on your port replicator, I believe you will be in the same boat as me and out of luck.

I believe on their newer monitors, NEC now uses a USB cable to carry the required EDID and DDC_CI communication protocol required by SpectraViewII between the monitor and the computer. This arrangement circumvents the need for the Dual Link DVI-D pathway to carry the EDID and DDC_CI communication protocol, and would allow me to run with the Display Port to Dual Link DVI-D adapter which I purchased. Unfortunately, this option is not available on the older NEC monitors like mine. I suspect, your 2690 is similar to my 3090 in that regard.

I have toyed with the idea of selling my 3090 and upgrading to one of the newer NEC monitors just so I can run Lightroom on my laptop without it bogging down so much. It does seem a shame to have to do this with an otherwise perfectly functional monitor, and for that reason I have not yet gone in that direction.

I hope I have helped. If you find a solution to this, I would certainly appreciate hearing back from you, perhaps by private email. I try to check this post from time to time, but it hasn't aroused much attention.

So our trouble is that the laptops no longer have DVI, and the docking stations interrupt the communications needed for profiling.

I have the LCD2690WUXi, and might like to retire the desktop workstation it's connected to and primarily use a single machine. I'm also tempted to get a 30" monitor, as I've been investing in my office setup relieving back strain and the eye doc says sitting further from the display protects the eyes. My office also cooks during summer and turning off the desktop is a blessing. Like your LCD3090WQXi my monitor has only DVI inputs, but the newer PA301W has DVI and Displayport plus USB. So if I get the new display, all should be well using Displayport or docking station DVI for video and a second USB cable for calibration. I'm weighing my options, including a used/return PA301 at B&H that shaves a few dollars if it doesn't have pixel issues.

In the meantime, have you considered this adapter: StarTech.com DP2DVID ($110/Amazon) The 2690 at 1920 x 1200 can use a cheaper adapter: StarTech.com DP2DVIS ($28/Amazon)

Apparently there's additional communications that a regular Displayport lacks that is available in a Displayport Plus-Plus connection that these laptops lack but the active adapters compensate for. All stuff I really don't care to learn. Perhaps it's worth trying the adapter and enjoying Amazon's accommodating return policy if it doesn't help?

I did try the Startech DP2DVID adapter, but unfortunately, it did not work any better than the BizLink adapter I already had. I suppose I'll just have to spring for the new monitor at some point. Perhaps there is someone out there that will be interested in the old one, which works perfectly well with a properly equipped desktop system.

Suppose it's safe to assume that you've had no better luck plugging the adapter into the laptop's displayport socket as compared to the docking station? I'm still thinking about get a docking station and the smaller adapter to do a test drive.

I would not get the drivers from Dell, but then I wouldn't get anything from Dell. Have you tried downloading the latest drivers direct from Nvidia (assuming you have the Nvidia flavor of this notebook)?

I might be interested in your old monitor if you cannot resolve this and decide to get another one, but if I were you I would just do a rebuild of your desktop, upgrade the mobo, CPU, and graphics card (essentially a new computer) for about half the cost of a new 30" NEC.

Ralph,Yes, I did try the laptop's display port with no joy. I can run the NEC at full 2560x1600 resolution but can't run SpectraView.

Roscolo,I have downloaded and installed the latest of both the Nvidia display adapter and the SpectraViewII drivers, also with no joy. Thanks for the suggestion about upgrading the mbo and CPU. That thought had actually crossed my mind, but I haven't taken the leap yet. I guess I'll have to pull the side off my tower box and have a look, as it is starting to appear that may be my best solution. I've never replaced a mbo before, but maybe it isn't that big of a deal. Before I sell my current display, I would want to confirm that my laptop would work with the newer NEC displays. I guess that would involve taking the laptop into a local(?) dealer for NEC and see if they would be willing to let me give it a try.

I received the StarTech DP2DVIS active adapter sized to the 1920 x 1200 LCD2690 display, am running it directly from the laptop and Spectraview seems to calibrate successfully (I don't have a docking station yet). I still need to learn how to check which profile is being used for which monitor (laptop vs. external) - can someone walk me thru that? Meaning that I have both the laptop screen and external monitor in use and don't want the Spectraview profile applied to the laptop (and they never looked the same in the first place even with calibration).

Happy to hear you were successful getting SpectraView to run using the StarTech DP2DVID adapter, presumably connected to the display port on your laptop. I wonder if there is some additional capability in the M6500 display port that is not in my M4600's port, enabling support of SpectraView. I'm afraid I can't help with the calibration assignment question as I have not gotten SpectraView to work at all with my M4600.

The day after first successfully using the Startech DP2DVIS adapter the monitor communications were lost. Just got off the phone with NEC support tech who told me couple things that helped:

1. In the bottom box of the Spectraview II software (v9 or v10, tech told me to avoid v12), the display #2 was shown as the LCD2690WUXi but with no communications. Selection the wrench icon at the lower right and then in this "Display Configuration" make sure that Display 2 is identified in the drop-down as the NEC monitor. Once this was selected, communication was restored.

2. In Windows 7 device manager, the monitor only showed up as Generic PnP Monitor, but the NEC Monitor Installer Software download (v0.12.08.02) then changed it so the LCD2690WUXi(Digital) appears. I think this downloaded new generic profiles and re-calibrated afterwards.

I could see the .icc profile names for the different monitors in the Windows 7 Color Management, and see all the profiles in C:\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color.

If I didn't have instant luck with the Startech adapter the 1st time, I might have just blamed the hardware. I'm not sure if I'm going to get a docking station just yet or hold off. The NEC tech said that Dell is aware of the docking station communication breaks and has fixed hardware for specialized radiology setups, so perhaps a future docking station will better support simpler monitors that don't have separate USB communications. FWIW, my Dell M6500 has a Nvidia Quadro FX 2800M video card.

My M4600 has a Nvidia Quadro 2000M. Maybe there is a better video card for the M4600 that would somehow support SpectraView through the display port. Perhaps I will pursue this someday, but it has all become somewhat moot for now. . .

I have decided to upgrade my desktop system (which works with SpectraView) to solve the slow Lightroom performance issue--along the lines of the suggestion from Roscolo.

Regarding upgrade of your desktop, you can certainly do this yourself. I can make some suggestions if you post your existing desktop system specs here. I do a desktop rebuild about every 3-4 years. Sometimes I upgrade. This last time I built entirely new (I did upgrade my old Asus p5w dh deluxe / intel q6600 system for my wife, just added an SSD and a GTX 520 and that 5 yr. old system is now quite brisk). For myself I did an entirely new build. Here are my specs to give you an idea:

RAM prices have gone rock bottom since I build this system a year ago, and I bought the pieces for it almost entirely from Newegg, picking up pieces as they were on sale. Love this motherboard. The easiest, fastest build I have ever done. Boots in about 10 seconds. Less than 6 hours to do it all. Used the rather spiffy onboard z68 video until the Nvidia GTX 560ti went on sale. Total cost right around $1,300 when I bought. Prices on this stuff now would put it closer to $1,000. If you pay someone to build a system with these specs, you're looking at twice that amount.

It is easy to do, and once you build your own system for your actual needs with quality components, you will never buy prebuilt again.

Roscolo, thanks for the offer of assistance on a new system. I had actually already pulled the trigger on my new system from the local Microcenter store just before your posted offer. Microcenter did the assembly and I did the OS and other software installs. I was quite pleased with the knowledge of the sales person and the workmanship quality with the assembly personnel at the Microcenter. I now have my new system up and running and am very pleased with it. My ~analogous specs are:Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LGA 1155 Z77 ATX Intel MotherboardCPU: Intel i7 2700kRAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 16GB DDR3-1600 (PC3-12800) CL9 Dual Channel Desktop Memory Kit (Two 8GB Memory Modules)Operating System: Win 7 64-bitPrimary HD: Seagate Barracuda 2 TB 7200 RPM SATAGraphics Card: Gigabyte GV-N630-2GI NVIDIA GeForce GT 630 2048MB DDR3 PCIe 2.0 x16 Video CardPower Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III Series 600 Watt ATX Modular Power SupplyCase: AntecThree Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case (even though I don't do games!)DVD drive: Samsung 22X DVD±RW Burner with Dual Layer Support

It is such a pleasure to have Lightroom running smoothly again. No more jumpy sliders. The sliders track the mouse movements perfectly. Also, my SpectraViewII calibration runs fine using the DVI-I connection to the NEC 3090 monitor. The whole system was just under $1k.

Ralph,Regarding the laptops, I have to conclude that there is some difference between the display port capabilities on your M6500 vs. on my M4600 that are probably resulting from the differences in our video cards. I didn't check to see if your Nvidia Quadro FX 2800M video card had an acceptable form factor to use in my M4600 and that may have been another solution.

It is such a pleasure to have Lightroom running smoothly again. No more jumpy sliders. The sliders track the mouse movements perfectly. Also, my SpectraViewII calibration runs fine using the DVI-I connection to the NEC 3090 monitor. The whole system was just under $1k.

Glad to hear it. That's a solid system at a good price. The only change I would have suggested is an SSD for the Primary HD to run your OS and programs from, and then add the TB drive(s) for data storage. Nice graphics card there! Glad you got it sorted. Enjoy!